The Crazies Review

2.5 Stars

The Crazies stars Timothy Olyphant as small town sheriff David Dutton.  Residents of Ogden Marsh, Iowa are starting to act, well, crazy.  Some tainted water has infected them, turning them into violent empty shells of their former selves.  On the surface, they aren't identifiable like zombies or the undead.  But they appear to be uncontrollably prone to extreme violence.  It's up to Sheriff Dutton, his wife, and the uninfected to figure out who has been turned by the water, how to stop them, and how to stop more from turning in this horrific tale.

The preview made me think The Crazies had potential to be a really good scary movie, something not many successfully achieve.  I don't particularly think horror movies are that scary and I'm usually more curious about how certain special effects are done than scared by the end result.  Horror and thriller movies that leave more to the imagination are much more entertaining to me.  1408 with John Cusack, Seven with Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman, The Skeleton Key with Kate Hudson, The Strangers with Liv Tyler, 10 Cloverfield Lane with John Goodman, those are the kinds of movies that get me going and this looked like it could be one of the good ones.

The Crazies doesn't waste any time getting the action going.  Within the first ten minutes, we witness three occurrences.  In the next ten minutes, we learn why.  Five minutes later, the movie grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go for the next hour with non-stop action, terror and gore.  It's a little difficult to tell the difference who the "crazies" actually are once the government steps in to control what's happening in Ogden Marsh.  The "crazies" are not like zombies, but they are definitely not all there.  And the government agents act with the best interests of the town as their last priority as they contain and cover up what has happened.  Without giving away the ending, you are made aware that another Crazies is coming.

I initially predicted a 3.5 stars but knocked it down to 2.5 stars. The Crazies was entertaining, but it was a one-time deal that I probably won't watch again and won't own.  Olyphant is perfect as the small town sherriff, but unlike the other thriller movies I mentioned above, The Crazies was a little too over-the-top for me with not enough subtlety to truly make it scary.  But, if you haven't seen it, it's worth a rental.  So, what movie will be on my mind next?  We shall see.